To Wield A Sword
by charmed-sword
Summary: Kenshin thought he could protect his son from anything. He would wield his sword for the rest of his life if it meant protecting Kenji from the phantoms of his past. But there are some things not even he can protect his child from...


Kenshin Himura thought he could protect his son from anything. He would wield his sword for the rest of his life if it meant protecting Kenji from the phantoms of his father's past. But there are some things not even he can protect his child from...For how do you wield a sword against Death?

Disclaimer: Watsuki is the rightful god of this universe.

CHAPTER ONE

Kenshin smiled to himself as he gently pulled the covers over his sleeping wife, making sure the sun's early rays seeping into the room woud not wake her. Kaoru wasn't known to be an early riser, and she could be especially foul tempered if she didn't get enough sleep. He certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of that! Kenshin tenderly brushed back the loose strands of her wavy black hair, and kissed her on the cheek.

Kaoru stirred, and for a moment he thought she was going to get up and whack him for waking her. But instead, she just mumbled, "Ken...shin..." and then drifted back to sleep. He stifled a laugh, looking towards the window with contentment shining in his striking violet eyes. It had been raining heavily the night before, but today the weather seemed clear.

_Another beautiful day at the Kamiya dojo. How lucky I am..._

Not a day went past that Kenshin didn't feel grateful for the blessings he still felt he didn't deserve. He had come such a long way from the lone killer he used to be, during a time of such darkness he had begun to wander whether there even existed a light...Not only had he a home now, but good friends who understood him, a wife who knew his darkest secrets yet loved him more, and a wonderful son, who embodied everything Kenshin had fought for during the revolution.

He ran his fingers through his unruly hair and then quickly dressed. He slid the door shut as quietly as he could, then made his way down the hall, towards his son's room.

Kenshin wondered if the boy was up yet, he usually was. Sometimes Kenji would wait for him behind the door, then lunge at him as fast as he could, curious to see if he could be scared. Kenshin always entered without blinking an eye, looking extremely calm, as though the small ball of energy that barelled into him was nothing out of the ordinary.

This annoyed Kenji, he knew it did.

"You could at least pretend!" the seven year old had complained a few weeks earlier.

Kenshin had feigned surprise. "Pretend? Pretend to do what Kenji-chan?"

Kenji had rolled his eyes. "_Tou-san_! Pretend to be scared of course!"

But no matter how much Kenshin had tried to be appropriately scared for Kenji, the little redhead had not accepted any of his reactions. "Don't worry, no more pretending," Kenji had muttered after his father had tried another particulary goofy facial expression. "I'll find another way to scare you."

"How is that?"

"I'm going to--" the boy declared before clamping his own hand over his mouth. His blue eyes had widened with realisation before the rurouni burst into laughter.

"_Hey_! I nearly told you! Not funny!"

Two weeks had passed, and yet every time Kenshin had entered, Kenji would be seated in the middle of the floor, futon neatly tucked away in the corner, back straight, eyes shut, and hands in his lap in the typical meditation pose. The sight of his hyperactive son sitting there ever so quietly, messy bangs falling across his face as he bowed his head in concentration, was definitely enough to unnerve him. Kenshin wondered if this was the boy's plan, because if so, it had certainly worked. He had gasped when he had entered, and Kenji, delighted and triumphant, had accepted that as a form of 'fright.'

Yet he had _continued_ with the whole meditation act. Kenshin found himself half hoping his son would lunge at him again as he slowly slid open the door.

The sight of him sitting in the corner, still as a rock, was still daunting. He had even begun to wonder if perhaps it was a result of spending too much time with his Uncle Aoshi that had made him like that. Their last holiday to Kyoto _had _been longer than expected...Kenshin's eyes twinkled as he imagined what Aoshi's expression would beif he told him that. Most likely show not much reaction at all. Maybe a 'That is good', and a small smile, if he was lucky.

The man was a talented warrior with an intelligent mind, and a loyal and good friend. Yet he was somewhat lacking in the social area. Aoshi and Misao, the very loud and cheerful other Okashira of the Oniwaban group had been married for a year now, and slowly, Aoshi was beginning to improve with his expressions and conversational skills.

Kenshin had to give the woman some credit.

"Kenji chan?"

The swordsman blinked away his thoughts as he realised the room was empty.

He stood there for a moment, surprise giving way to concern, especially as he realised the bed was not made.

_Kenji-chan always puts away his futon before waking up..._

Kenshin quickened his pace as he walked through the halls, checking every room for his son. He did so as calmly and quietly as he could, telling himself there was no reason to panic. He was especially quiet as he passed Yahiko's room, not wanting to wake the young Kashin Master.

There was no reason to wake anyone...Kenji was probably playing in the yard before breakfast. He'd have to tell him to make sure he cleaned his bed first though...

He reached the bath house, but he frowned as he noticed it was empty. The yard was awfully quiet as well. Kenji made a lot of noise, like children did, he would definitely have heard him by now. Where else could he be? He wouldn't leave the Kamiya dojo without his parents' permission...

Kenshin suddenly turned around with such speed that he didn't see the figure standing behind him, and they bumped painfully.

"Oww!"

"Sorry Yahiko!"

The tall and lean twenty year old picked himself up again, glaring at Kenshin and rubbing his side.

"Why are you in such a rush?" he asked. "You went past my room in a real hurry."

Kenshin's eyebrows knitted together as he scanned the yard again. Could Kenji be playing a prank? Was he hiding somewhere, waiting for the moment to jump out and give him a shock?

"I thought I was being quiet..."

"I sensed your ki." Yahiko gave him a pointed look, raking a hand through his rumpled black locks and stifling a yawn.

"Right. Of course."

Yahiko's brow furrowed as he watched Kenshin look this way and that, his face growing paler.

Concern washed over him. _This can't just be over misplaced laundry..._

"What's wrong?"

"It's Kenji," the man answered, panic creeping into his face. "He's not in the house, and he's not out here either. And I can't sense his ki..."

Yahiko was unable to reply, his eyes were staring at something beyond Kenshin. Slowly, he inched closer towards the side wall of the dojo, where the long pipe ran from the roof to the floor. Fear mounted in his heart as he approached the blue pile huddled at the edge of the pipe. It couldn't be...a boy wearing a wrinkled blue yukata... a boy with flame coloured hair...

"Kenji!"

"Yahiko, did you find..."

Kenshin froze as he reached the side of the house where Yahiko was cradling...his son. A strange ringing in his ears as he watched the young man desperately shake the boy. His son's foot was twisted behind him at a strange angle. Blood was dripping down the side of his head. He didn't look like he was breathing, his skin was white as a sheet.

"Oh god..Kenji!"

Yahiko's shouts were being drowned out by the ringing. Kenshin felt strange, a sensation of being so far away, yet so close to the two of them. The ground swirled beneath his feet, and for a moment his world was blurring black. This is a nightmare...he thought oddly. Kenji-chan is really sleeping soundly in his bed...this isn't happening at all.

The sun disappeared behind the clouds as Kaoru Himura woke up.

Someone was yelling. Her eyes narrowed. Someone had woken her, and it sounded like Yahiko. She was going to shout out for him to be quiet, when, after listening carefully, her expression changed from irritation to worry. Yahiko sounded desperate. Upset. What was going on? Quickly, she left her room and came out onto the porch.

"Yahiko, what's going o-"

Kaoru's face paled as she came off the porch and saw him. She swayed for a moment, then reached out to steady herself against the wall. "No," she whispered. Kaoru tried to make other words with her mouth, but found she could not. She tried to call out to her husband who was standing frozen in the middle of the yard, and to Yahiko who had tears streaming down his face as he held the still little boy in his arms...

_Her_ little boy...

She tried to make her feet move.

But all she could do was whisper one word.

"No."


End file.
